Offset backhoe



R. R. OWEN OFFSET BACKHOE Sept. 10, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29,1966 I NVENTOR /O`R7' A. OWEN BY ATTORNEY R. R` OWEN oFFsET BAcKHoEsept. 10, 1988 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 29, 1966 ArToR/vfrs Sept. 10,1968 R. R. owEN 3,400,842

OFFSET BACKHOE Filed Nov. 29, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet ZS TTOR/VEY Sept. 10,1968 R. R. owEN 3,400,842

OFFSET BACKHOE Filed Nov. 29, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A T TORJNEV UnitedStates Patent O 3,400,842 OFFSET BACKHOE Robert R. Owen, Birmingham,Mich., assignor to Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Nov. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 597,700 Claims. (Cl. 214-138)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An offset backhoe in which the transve'rselyadjustable carriage for the boom Vis attached to an elongated membercentrally pivoted within a slot on a platform which extends on bothsides of the center line of the tractor.

This invention relates to adjustable offset backhoes of the type inwhich the boom is supported on a carriage which is mounted on atransverse track for movement to a position laterally offset to eitherside of the longitudinal center line of a tractor.

Adjustable offset backhoes of the above type customarily are providedwith a seat and valve bank which may either be mounted on the swingframe to move and swing with the backhoe, fixed on the center line ofthe tractor or be mounted on the carriage to move laterally with thebackhoe. In either type of construction, there is a problem ofvisibility of the digging operation and a probleml of accommodating therequired length of connecting hydraulic hose necessary to offset thebackhoe the maximum amount but eXcess length when the backhoe is more orless centered on the tractor.

According to the present invention, the operator's seat and valve bankare mounted on a member pivotally connected between the center of themain frame and the carriage whereby the seat and valve bank are turnedtowards the backhoe regardless of the degree of offset but at the sametime the operator may look along the side of the boom into theexcavation. Preferably this member also carries the hydraulic hosesleading to the valve bank from the hydraulic pump and stabilizers.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide an improvedoffset backhoe construction in which the seat, while stationary duringthe digging cycle, is turned towards the adjusted position of thebackhoe; to provide such a construction accommodating slack in the hosesin certain adjusted positions of the backhoe; to provide such aconstruction in which the hazard of damaging hoses during lateralmovement of the carriage is markedly reduced; and generally to improveoffset backhoe constructions of the type described.

Other objects, and objects relating to details of manufacture and usewill be more apparent from the detailed description to follow.

My invention is clearly defined in the appended claims. In the claims,as well as in the description, parts may at times be identified byspecific names for clarity and con- Venience, but such nomenclature isto be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with thecontext and with the concept of my invention as distinguished from thepertinent prior art. The best form in which I have contemplated applyingmy invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a partof this specification in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a tractor with backhoe and loaderattached, only the rear portion of the tractor and loader being shown.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the backhoe shown in FIGURE l, a portionof the main frame and the boom being broken away. Alternative offsetpositions of the backhoe are indicated in broken line.

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FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation of the backhoe, the boom, dipstick andbucket being omitted.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of the backhoe, portons of the main frameand associated parts being shown in Vertical section. w

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged Vertical section showing the attachment of theseat and Valve bank supporting member to the oper-ator's platform.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the backhoe 10 of the present invention isadapted for mounting on a tractor 11. The backhoe comprises a boom 12, adipstick 14 and a bucket 15 which are articulated and operated in theusual manner. The boom 12 is pivotally mounted for Vertical swingingmovement on a swing frame 16, which is supported for horizontal swingingmovement by a rotary cylinder 17 supported by a carriage 19. The boom12, dipstck 14 and bucket 15 are operated in the customary manner byhydraulic cylinders 20, 21 and 22, respectively. Operation of thesecylinders is controlled by a bank 24 of manually operated hydrauliccontrol valves connected with the cylinders 20, 21 and 22 by hoses 23exte'nding between the Valve bank and the boom 12.

The backhoe 10 is supported on the tractor 11 by a main frame 25 securedto the chassis of the tractor. The main frame 25 extends between therear wheels of the tractor, one wheel 26 being shown and projectssomewhat behind the wheels, terminating in a Vertical, relatively fiatrear face 27 provided with a pair of vertically-spaced, parallel,horizontal, rearwardly-opening C-shaped slots 29 extending from side toside of the tractor and supporting the carriage 19, as will bedescribed. A pair of stabi- Izers 30 and 31 are pivotally mounted on thelower portion of the main frame 25 and may be lowered during use of thebackhoe to aid in stabilizing the tractor 11 against overturnng and totake the weight off the rear Wheels of the tractor.

The main frame 25 may be mounted on the chassis of the tractor 11 bymeans of coupling mechanism generally similar to that shown inHolopainen U.S. Patent 3,047,109. This coupling mechanism includes fixedpins 32 and 34 mounted on the main frame 25 of the backhoe (see FIG. 4)which are adapted to be engaged by notched links, not shown, of the typeshown in the Holopainen patent.

The carriage 19 which supports the swing frame 16 of the backhoe isclamped against the Vertical rear face 27 of the main frame by fourbolts 35 engaged within the vC-shaped slots 29 and having nuts 36adapted to be tightened against the carriage. Upon loosening the nuts36, the carriage may be moved to any position along the slots andreclamped prior to use of the backhoe for digging.

An operator's seat 37 is provided facing rearwardly of the tractor abovethe generally horizontal upper surface 39 of the main frame, the surface39 serving as the operators platform. The seat 37 is mounted a shortdistance forwardly of the valve bank 24 to provide for convenient manualoperation of the valves by an operator while seated.

Both the valve bank 24 and the seat 37 are mounted on .an elongatedmember 40 lying generally along the platform 39 of the main frame, oneend of the member being pivotally connected to the carriage and theother end being pivotally connected to the forward portion of theplatform 39. Preferably, the member 40` is of fixed length and has afixed pivotal connection coaxial with the swing frame 16 and a forwardend pivotally reecived within a fore-and-aft-extending slot 41 in theforward portion of the platform 39 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The slot 41 isof sutficient length to permit the forward end of the member 40 to moverearwardly a sutficient distance to permit full movement of the carriage19 along the rear face 27 of the main frame to the broken line positionindicated at the right of FIGURE 2.

Hoses 42 connecting 'the valve bank 24 with the customary stabilizer`cylinders 44 provided for raising and lowering the stabilizers 30 and31 and hoses 45 for connecting the valve bank with a source of hydraulicfluid under pressure are led along the member 40 and through the slot 41in the platform 39. Preferably, the member 40 is of inverted channelsection and some or all of the hoses are led within the interior of themember to contain them and protect them against damage. A bushing orcollar 46 may be provided at the forward end of the member 40 to form asliding pivot for the member within the sl-ot 41 and protect the hosesagainst damage by the margins of the slot.

It will be apparent that there is a substantially Constant distancepreserved between the valve bank 24 and the boom 12 regardless of theoffset position of the backhoe, the distance being affected principallyby the swinging of the swing frame 16 and the boom. Accordingly, thereis no requirement to make provision for excess length of hoses 23 topermit full movement of the carriage 19 from side to side of the mainframe 25. It is necessary to provide some excess length of the hoses 42.to provide for forward movement of the collar 46 within the slot 41 onthe platform when the carriage 19 is moved to control position. Thismovement, however, is held to a minimum and there is plenty 'of spacebeneath the platform to acmommodate the excess length of hoses required.Moreover, this hose slack is remote from -the .area along the rear face27 of the main frame and the hoses are not apt to become pinched anddamaged by movement of the carriage 19 or operation of the backhoe.

Mounting of the seat 37 on the member 40 automatically positions theseat to always face the valve bank 24 and the backhoe. More-over,mounting the seat in the manner described maintains it towards thecenter of the platform 39 at all times, thus providing adequateclearance between the seat and the Wheels of the tractor and facilitatesmounting an enclosed operatofs cab about the platform. At the same time,the seat is directed at all times towards the backhoe and when thebackhoe is offset in either direction from central position, theposition of the seat assists the operator in looking past the side ofthe boom and into the excavation during digging to facilitate control ofthe unit.

What is claimed is: i

1. In a tractor-mounted offset backhoe having a main frame provided witha generally flat horizontal operatofs platform and a track extendingtransversely from side to side of one end of a tractor, a carriagemounted for movement along the track and provided with means forsupporting an end ofa backhoe boom for movement about hori- Zontal andvertical axes, an operator`s seat,l and a valve bank of manuallyoperated hydraulic control valves mounted in front of the seat forOperating the backhoe, the improvement c-omprising: the seat and valvebank being ,mounted on .an elongated member lying generally along theupper surface of the platform and having one end portion pivotallymounted forswinging movement thereon and 'the other end pivotallyconnected to the carriage, the platform extending on both sides of thelongitudinal center line of the tractor and the elongated member beingpivotally mounted on said longitudinal center line and extending fromsaid center line in all adjusted positi-ons of the carriage.

2. In a backhoe as claimed in claim 1, the elongated member having afixed length, the platform having a slot along its longitudinalcenterline and the platform-mounted end of the member moving fore andaft within the slot upon adjustment of the carriage along the track.

3. In a backhoe as claimed in claim 2, the carriagemounted end of themember being pivotally mounted coaxially with the Vertical axis of theboom.

4. In a backhoe as claimed in claim 2, the platform having an elongatedslot extending along the longitudinal center line of the tractor andpivotally and slidably receiving a hollow pivot member extending fromthe end of the elongated member, and hydraulic hoses extending frombelow the platform through the hollow pivot member and then along theelongated member 'to the valve bank.

5. In a backhoe as claimed in claim 4, the elongated member forming achannel receiving said hydraulic hoses.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,250,410 5/1966 Dorkins 214-138HUGO O. SCHULZ, Prmmy Examiner.

